Lazy Man's "Case Tumbling"

[JackEllis]

I've convinced myself that cleaning cases before sizing will help prolong the life of the die. Clean cases also look nicer but I don;t need mine to sparkle.

I considered getting a wet tumbler except that I really don't have room for more "stuff" in my shop, which is where I do my reloading. Someone on this forum (sorry I can't remember who to credit) talked about using Dawn and Lemi Shine to clean cases without using stainless media. I tried that tonight on two batches of range pickup, some of which was so bad it was hard to distinguish from steel.

I used hot water out of the tap, a small squirt of Dawn and just a bit of Lemi Shine. "Tumble" the cases using my hand for about three minutes and rinse.

I'm not sure how clean the .223 cases are inside but I'm pretty certain the worst of the crud is gone and they look pretty good on the outside. Not good as new perhaps, but good enough for me. Many of the 9 mm cases were showing clean brass inside even though they had not been decapped.

I'm not trying to talk the tumblers (wet or dry) out of doing what they want, but a quick wash seems to to almost as well with perhaps less effort. YMMV.

[Burbur]

Get a bucket with a good lid with this mixture in it. Tie it down good in the corner of the bed of your pickup and put the brass in it at the range. By the time you get home, they will be prewashed.

[JackEllis]

By the time you get home, they will be prewashed.

So you're saying hot water isn't necessary? If so, I've got just the bucket.

[longrange1]

ive been stainless steel tumbling for several years now and have played with several different mixtures,times and water temps and cold water seems to work best...for me cold cleans a bit quicker and my brass is shinier.

[opos]

back "in the day" before there were tumblers we used "soup" in a container much like the lemishine mix...used soap flakes and vinegar (can damage brass f not watched), as there was no dawn then...Today I use Citric acid (E bay), a small shot of dawn, a pinch of salt and hot water...put it all in a plastic bucket and give it several good stirs and agitgation for about a half hour to an hour...I rinse it really well and give it a quick rinse with some baking soda disolved in water to neutralize any left over acid..then a final quick clear rinse and let it air dry...if I want jewelry it goes in my tumbler after it's dry...always worked well for me.

[robert101]

I remember being a poor college student and only wiping off 44 Mag cases before reloading. Yes, they looked dirty but ran well in my dies and shot just like new. Now (many years later) I've got all the good cleaning stuff and tumblers to make them look good. I tumble for maybe 45 minutes and reload. I don't need shinny cases only ones that meet the reloading (clean) criteria.

[Pardini]

I don't wet tumble. Walnut shell does great job. I've tested different solutions on some pretty nasty brass though. I found that detergent makes no difference. A little powdered citric acid from a beekeepers store and water is all that is needed. Only takes a few minutes and a couple of shakes to get it bright and shiney.

[packnrat]

i wet tumble, and use simple green. and lemon-shine. in cold water.
even the worst sun burn darkened cases come out looking as bright and shiny as new.


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[tonyjr]

Quite a few here throw their cases on press , decap , deprime and reload .
If it works for you go for it .
I want clean cases and could care less if they are really shinny - may nieces want really pretty cartridges .
I have found that the cleaner a case is the better for semi auto pistols . Revolvers don't seem to care , . Rifle wise maybe a couple thousand in last 50 years - now that the 308 craze has hit the nephews - 300-400 a week is getting to be normal .
I use the vibrator , tumbler and sonic depending on cases .

[JackEllis]

I'm finding that I need to be a bit more generous with the soap and Lemi Shine. A big benefit of cleaner cases is less grime on my hands from handling cases.

[pacrat]

Lazy Man's "Case Tumbling"

I'm thinking your method more closely describes "Case Washing".

I use similar method for cases picked up off ground. Whether my own of other's. Hot water has for ages proven to help remove lube and cut grime.

So I use dish soap and very hot water. then a couple of hot water rinses. This makes the cases dry much faster by being preheated.

Then they go into the vibratory Lyman 1200. With either treated cob or walnut shells. Depending on case condition. Time also depends on condition of cases. I hate picking and poking media out of flash holes. So all tumbling is done with primers in place.

JM2c